J Street welcomes an urgent letter, signed by 107 members of Congress, which strongly condemns the Trump administration’s Israeli-Palestinian ‘plan’ and warns that the Israeli government must not use the plan “as license to violate international law by annexing all or portions of the West Bank.”
Led by Representatives Andy Levin (D-MI) and Alan Lowenthal (D-CA), the letter warns that by promoting unilateral annexation and permanent occupation, and by completely excluding Palestinian leadership from the diplomatic process, the president’s efforts will exacerbate and entrench conflict rather than resolve it. It notes that the Trump plan goes against the will of the House of Representatives, which just weeks ago passed a resolution opposing unilateral annexation in the West Bank and reaffirming that any credible US plan must include support for a genuine, viable two-state solution that respects the legitimate rights and aspirations of both parties.
The members of Congress recognize that “A collection of disconnected Palestinian enclaves – surrounded by settlements and settlement infrastructure annexed by Israel, and still under Israeli control – does not constitute statehood. Crafted by a team that has long indicated its animosity to actual Palestinian statehood, your proposal attempts to make a genuine two-state solution impossible.” They warn that “A U.S. proposal that promotes unilateral annexation and jettisons a real two-state solution is bad for Israel, for the shared values that have historically undergirded the U.S.-Israel relationship, and for the bipartisan consensus in the U.S. on the importance of that relationship, which Israel has long understood to be a crucial strategic asset.”
At a time when Prime Minister Netanyahu continues to threaten to carry out unilateral annexations and claims to have the support of the Trump administration for such actions, congressional leaders are making absolutely clear that the Trump plan does not represent the long-term interests, policies or values of the United States — and that any moves toward annexation would be disastrous for the future of both Israelis and Palestinians.